Dual Enrollment: Unique Characteristics

This database highlights unique provisions of state dual enrollment policies that do not fit into existing data points, but are worthy of consideration by state policymakers.

Why does it matter?

Policy guidance that accommodates local needs, issues and objectives better meets the needs of communities.

Expanding and clarifying issues related to access benefits students and families.

Allowing homeschool and private school students to attend early and middle college programs is of benefit to those students. However, serving students not previously served does result in additional costs to the state and district.

Methodology: This information was collected from state statutes, rules and regulations, and state education agency Web sites. A profile was sent to each state for review and modification, as needed.

Last updated: March 2016

This database was compiled by Jennifer Dounay Zinth: 303.299.3689 or jzinth@ecs.org.

Unique characteristics

Alabama

Private school and homeschool students may also establish dual enrollment agreements with postsecondary institutions.

Students in grades 10-12 who do not meet the eligibility requirement of a "B" average in high school courses may be determined eligible to participate in dual enrollment "pending demonstrated ability to benefit as documented by successful completion and placement identification on assessments approved by the department of postsecondary education" (includes ASSET, WorkKeys, CPAT). Such students are limited to pursuing career/technical and health-related courses, and must have "a 'B' average in high school courses related to the occupational/technical studies, if applicable, which the student intends to pursue at the postsecondary level and" have an overall 2.5 grade point average.

The state department of education must work with districts with the lowest high school graduation rates to implement dropout prevention interventions. One of the interventions the department may implement is offering full course fee waivers to students eligible for free/reduced lunch who are enrolled in dual credit courses. The department must submit a written report to the legislature on the outcomes of dropout prevention strategies, and any planned modification of school system dropout prevention strategies and activities, based on the data compiled.

Alaska

None identified

Arizona

Home schooled students enrolling in a course on the community college campus are exempt from student eligibility criteria related to scores on ACT, SAT, PSAT, AIMS or college placement tests.

A school district must ensure a student is a full-time student attending a full-time instructional program at a school in the district before the student may enroll in a community college course offered at a high school during the school day. An exception is provided for seniors who satisfy graduation requirements and who have less than a full-time instructional program.

Arkansas

Private and home school students may also participate.

Institutions of higher education may collaborate to provide a concurrent enrollment course and award course credit.

The institution providing the course must provide students with the opportunity to utilize the on-campus library or other academic resources of the institution.

Because discrete classes that totally separate concurrent credit students from non-concurrent credit students may be prohibitive to operate in some cases, those classes with a mixed population must have at least a majority of the students enrolled for concurrent credit. All high school students enrolled in the concurrent course must meet the same requirements for completion of the course whether or not the student is registered for college credit.

2013 legislation creates a Council on Postsecondary Education and Career Readiness, which must, among other duties, support college and career readiness standards that promote accelerated learning opportunities, including Advanced Placement courses, concurrent credit opportunities, and other accelerated opportunities with college or vocational-technical school assistance.

Any public school, education service cooperative, or institution of higher education is authorized to enter into one or more interlocal agreements to collaborate to improve public school performance and academic achievement. An interlocal agreement establishes an “education renewal zone.” An education renewal zone strategic plan must provide for enhancement and expansion of school curricular offerings via two-way interactive television, including advanced placement, dual-credit, and advanced high school courses.

California

Original program: If a community college governing board denies a request for a special part-time or full-time enrollment for a pupil identified as highly gifted, the board must record its findings and the reasons for denial of the request in writing within 60 days. The written recommendation and denial must be issued at the next regularly scheduled board meeting that falls at least 30 days after the request has been submitted.

A community college district governing board must assign a low enrollment priority to special part-time or full-time students in order to ensure that these students do not displace regularly admitted students.

The parent of a student not enrolled in a public school may directly petition the president of any community college to authorize the pupil’s attendance at the community college as a special part-time or full-time student on the ground that the pupil would benefit from advanced scholastic or vocational work that would thereby be available.

College and Career Access Pathways partnerships: College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) partnerships are intended to offer or expand dual enrollment opportunities for students who may not already be college bound or who are underrepresented in higher education, with the goal of developing seamless pathways from high school to community college for career technical education or preparation for transfer, improving high school graduation rates, or helping high school pupils achieve college and career readiness.

A copy of each CCAP partnership agreement must be filed with the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and with the department before the start of the CCAP partnership. The chancellor may void any CCAP partnership deemed not to be in compliance wtih the intent of CCAP partnership agreement requirements.

The CCAP partnership must certify that any community college instructor teaching a course at the partnering high school has not displaced or resulted in the termination of an existing high school teacher teaching the same course at the high school, and that a high school instructor has not displaced or resulted in the termination of a community college faculty member teaching the same course at the partnering community college. ​The CCAP partnership must also certify that both the school district and community college district partners comply with local collective bargaining agreements and all state and federal reporting requirements regarding the qualifications of the teacher or faculty member teaching a CCAP partnership course offered for high school credit.

The CCAP partnership agreement must include a certification by the community college district that:

A community college course offered for college credit at the high school does not reduce access to the same course offered at the community college.

A community college course that is oversubscribed or has a waiting list may not be offered in the CCAP partnership.

Participation in a CCAP partnership is consistent with the core mission of the community colleges as set forth in statute, and that students participating in a CCAP partnership will not displace otherwise eligible adults in the community college.

Colorado

Concurrent Enrollment and ASCENT: A “legislative declaration” makes clear that 2009 policy changes were intended to expand the mission of concurrent enrollment programs to serve a wider range of students, particularly those who represent communities with historically low college participation rates, and enhance program access and quality.

Concurrent Enrollment: 2015 H.B. 1275 amends the definition of concurrent enrollment to include coursework related to apprenticeship programs or internship programs. The legislation also directs the concurrent enrollment advisory board to collaborate with the department of education, the department of labor and employment, the community college system, the local district junior colleges, area vocational schools, and the Colorado workforce development council to create standard recommendations to advise and assist K-12 education providers in developing concurrent enrollment cooperative agreements that include coursework related to apprenticeship programs and internship programs.

In considering applications for a student to concurrently enroll in an institution of higher education, a superintendent, designee, or chief administrator must give priority consideration to qualified students who, by the time they would concurrently enroll, will have completed the high school graduation requirements and are applying for concurrent enrollment to begin earning credits toward a postsecondary degree or certificate or, if required to complete basic skills courses, to complete the courses during the remainder of the 12th-grade year.

A cooperative agreement between a local education provider and an institution of higher education must include consideration and identification of ways in which concurrently enrolled students can remain eligible for interscholastic high school activities.

Each high school student must have an individual career and academic plan. Each plan must include a career planning and guidance component and a portfolio that reflects, among other components, any concurrent enrollment credits earned.

Concurrent enrollment students must register for the College Opportunity Fund (COF) stipend. Participating students must confirm their understanding that with the exception of basic skills credits, credits earned will be deducted from the COF lifetime account (145.0 credit hours) for courses being taken at institutions of higher education that participate in the College Opportunity Fund.

ASCENT: The department of education includes ASCENT program participants in school accountability reporting requirements, regardless of whether an ASCENT program participant has completed his/her graduation requirements.

A 13-member concurrent enrollment advisory board includes representatives of the state systems of K-12 and higher education, gubernatorial representatives, the director of accreditation and regional services in the department of education (or designee), and two representatives of postsecondary career and technical education programs. The board is responsible for (1) establishing guidelines for the administration of the ASCENT program, (2) advising and assisting local education providers and institutions of higher education in preparing cooperative agreements, and (3) making recommendations as necessary to the general assembly, the state board, and the commission concerning the improvement or updating of state policies relating to concurrent enrollment programs, including but not limited to recommendations of policies that will allow every local education provider in the state to have adequate resources to enter into at least one cooperative agreement and recommendations of a funding allocation model. The board must annually report to the state board and the commission on higher education on any guidelines the board has established for administration of the ASCENT program, and any recommendations the board makes to improve or update state policies relating to concurrent enrollment programs.

Pending voter approval of a tax increase for funding P-12 education by November 2017: The department of education must develop a report on return on investment (ROI) to districts and charter schools and a cost study by January 31, 2016 and every four years thereafter. The ROI report must analyze, among other indicators, concurrent enrollment, including participating in the ASCENT program.

Connecticut

None identified

Delaware

No student may be denied access to dual enrollment courses because of the student's or family's inability to pay.

Dual enrollment and dual credit must be included in the Student Success Plan (SSP), for students electing to participate in dual enrollment.

District of Columbia

An LEA that implements a dual enrollment program must notify parents that postsecondary institution employees are not subject to the criminal background checks that are applicable to elementary and secondary school employees.

Florida

Private school and home schooled students may also participate. A postsecondary institution must enter into a home education articulation agreement with each home education student, which must include the initial and continued eligibility requirements for home education students, not to exceed those required of other dually enrolled students. A home education student is responsible for his/her own instructional materials and transportation unless provided for otherwise.

The department of education must develop an electronic submission system for dual enrollment articulation agreements and must review for compliance each dual enrollment articulation agreement annually submitted by each public postsecondary institution to the department of education. The commissioner of education must notify the district school superintendent and the institution president if the dual enrollment articulation agreement does not comply with statutory requirements and must submit any dual enrollment articulation agreement with unresolved issues of noncompliance to the state board.

The state board of education must establish a process for the continual and uninterrupted review of newly proposed core secondary courses and existing courses requested to be considered as core courses to ensure that sufficient rigor and relevance is provided for workforce skills and postsecondary education and aligned to state curriculum standards. A curriculum review committee whose membership is approved by Workforce Florida, Inc. is responsible for reviewing newly proposed core secondary courses. Approved core courses must also be reviewed and considered for approval for dual enrollment credit.

The commissioner of education may approve dual enrollment agreements for limited course offerings that have statewide appeal. Such programs must be limited to a single site with multiple county participation.

Each district must develop a comprehensive plan for student progression which must list, or incorporate by reference, all dual enrollment courses contained within the dual enrollment articulation agreement.

“Providing dual enrollment instruction” is articulated in statute as part of the mission and responsibility of Florida College System institutions.

Dependent children of active duty military personnel who otherwise meet the eligibility criteria for special academic programs, including dual enrollment, offered through public schools must be given first preference for admission to such programs even if the program is being offered through a public school other than the school to which the student would generally be assigned. If such a program is offered through a public school other than the school to which the student would generally be assigned, the student’s parent must assume responsibility for student transportation.

To earn a “scholar designation” on the standard high school diploma, a student must, among other criteria, earn at least 1 credit in an Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Advanced International Certificate of Education, or dual enrollment course.

Effective with the Class of 2015, all students must complete at least one graduation credit via an online course. This requirement may be met through an online dual enrollment course.

District school boards must consider, but are not limited to, implementing specified approaches to meet constitutional class size maximums, including adopting policies to encourage qualified students to take dual enrollment courses.

Dual enrollment students have access to state funded electronic library resources that are licensed for Florida College System institutions and state universities by the Florida Academic Library Services Cooperative.

Georgia

Beginning with the graduating high school class of 2015, in order to be eligible to receive a HOPE scholarship, students must complete at least two academically rigorous courses from any of seven categories, two of which categories are (1) dual credit courses in core subjects, and (2) courses taken at a unit of the University System of Georgia in core subjects where such courses are not remedial and developmental courses. Effective with the graduating high school classes of 2016 and 2017, this requirement increases to at least three and at least four academically rigorous courses, respectively, from the same seven categories.

A college and career academy must obtain certification from the office of college and career transitions within the Technical College System of Georgia. An applicant academy seeking certification must demonstrate how the proposed college and career academy will provide for dual credit and dual enrollment opportunities.

Statute directs the state board to establish rules and regulations to maximize the number of students, effective with entering 9th graders in the 2014-2015 school year, who complete at least one course containing online learning before graduation. This may be met through an online dual enrollment course offered by a postsecondary institution.

A high school diploma may be awarded a student who has completed specified grade 9 and 10 coursework, receives a score of admission acceptable on the readiness assessment required by the postsecondary institution, and completes one of the following:

An associate's degree

A technical college diploma program and all postsecondary academic education and technical education and training prerequisites for any state, national, or industry occupational certifications or licenses required to work in the field

At least two technical college certificate of credit programs in one specific career pathway and all postsecondary academic education and technical education and training prerequisites for any state, national, or industry occupational certifications or licenses required to work in the field as determined by the Technical College System of Georgia.

The State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia must annually identify fields of study in which a critical need or shortage of trained personnel exists in Georgia labor markets and provide such information to the State Board of Education, which in turn must annually provide such information to local school systems for the purpose of emphasizing areas of critical workforce needs and shortages in Georgia labor markets to high school students to support their career pathway decisions.

Students enrolled in a statutorily established work based learning program may be eligible to earn dual credit upon completing a planned training experience under guidelines developed by the Department of Education and the Technical College System of Georgia provided students meet postsecondary readiness metrics in reading, writing, and math for the particular advanced training program or associate's degree.

Hawaii

None identified

Idaho

Postsecondary Enrollment Options: A postsecondary institution must give priority to its postsecondary students when enrolling students in courses for secondary credit only. Once a student has been enrolled in a postsecondary course through Postsecondary Enrollment Options, the pupil may not be displaced by another student.

Dual Credit: Districts may utilize up to 15% of the moneys associated with positions funded through specified staff allowance funds to pay another school district or public charter school for instructional services or to defray the cost of providing virtual education coursework, including virtual dual credit coursework, without a reduction in the number of funded positions being imposed.

State board dual credit policy directs postsecondary institutions to carefully evaluate how to provide services to all students regardless of where a student is located.

Illinois

Institutions may adopt policies to protect the academic standing of students who are not successful in dual credit courses, including, but not limited to, options for (i) late withdrawal from a course, and/or (ii) taking the course on a pass-fail basis. All institutional policies relating to the academic standing of dual credit students or the transfer of credit for dual credit courses must be made publicly available by the institution and provided to each dual credit student.

For courses offered by four-year institutions via distance education:

The institution must provide students, faculty and staff with effective technical support and training for any educational hardware, software and delivery system that will be used.

The help desk function must be available to students during hours when it is likely to be needed, which must be at a minimum 18 hours a day.

Appropriate admissions processes, policies and assessments must be used to ensrue that students are capable of succeeding in an online environment and that students are adequately informed of the nature and expectations of online learning.

Appropriate measures of security systems must be maintained.

Assessments of student learning, especially exams, must take place in circumstances that include student identification and assurance of the integrity of student work.

Indiana

It is recommended that schools offering dual credit courses on the high school campus use a dual credit provider from the preferred provider list as developed by the commission for higher education.

Effective with the 2015-2016 school year, a school corporation may provide a supplemental payment to a teacher in excess of the salary specified in the school corporation's compensation plan if the teacher has earned a master's degree from an accredited postsecondary institution in a content area related to the subject of a dual credit course taught by the teacher.

Effective with students entering high school in the 2012-13 school year, to earn a Core 40 diploma with academic honors, a student must, among other criteria, choose from 6 criteria, including completion of dual credit courses resulting in 6 verifiable transcripted college credits and two chosen from: a minimum of 3 verifiable transcripted college courses, 2 Advanced Placement course credits and the corresponding AP test, or 2 credits in an IB standard level course and corresponding exams.

Effective with students entering high school in the 2012-13 school year, to be eligible for a Core 40 diploma with technical honors, a student must, among other criteria, earn a minimum of 6 credits in the college and career preparation courses in a state-approved college & career pathway and either complete pathway designated dual credit courses from the lists of priority courses resulting in 6 verifiable transcripted college credits, or earn a pathway designated industry-based certification or credential.

Postsecondary Enrollment Program: The guidelines developed by the department of education must encourage participation by students at all achievement levels and in a variety of academic and vocational subjects. Local policies may not prohibit a student from enrolling in or attending an education program when the student is not required to be in attendance at the student's school corporation.

Iowa

All Senior Year Plus Programs: Students from accredited nonpublic schools and homeschooled students may access the program through the school district in which the accredited nonpublic school or private institution is located.

Institutions must ensure students have access to student support services, including but not limited to tutoring, counseling, advising, library, writing and math labs, and computer labs, and student activities, excluding postsecondary intercollegiate athletics. Statute provides funds (when appropriated by the general assembly) for the development of additional Internet-based Senior Year Plus courses.

Postsecondary Enrollment Options: Students from the Iowa School for the Deaf or the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School may also participate.

Kansas

Private school students may participate in postsecondary CTE programs. Private and homeschool 10th, 11th and 12th grade students may be admitted to community colleges if they have an ACT or SAT score at or above the national average, have a cumulative high school GPA of 3.0 or above, or have been determined by the community college or technical college or the Washburn institute of technology, after evaluating the applicant's educational credentials, to be able to benefit from the courses in which the applicant wishes to enroll.

Kentucky

At a postsecondary institution's discretion, private school and home-schooled students may also participate.

The Guiding Principles of the CPE/KDE Dual Credit Policy provide, "Independent colleges and universities voluntarily meeting applicable provisions of these Dual Credit Policy Guidelines, as determined by the Council on Postsecondary Education, are encouraged to expand delivery of dual credit offerings."

The Dual Credit Policy also directs the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education to establish a statewide Dual Credit Advisory Council that includes representatives from secondary schools, postsecondary institutions, CPE, KDE, KHEAA, KCTCS office, and AIKCU. The CPE president may appoint additional members to this council. The Dual Credit Advisory Council must, among other duties:

Convene quarterly meetings of practitioners and policymakers to discuss best practices and changes in statutes and regulations.

Create a plan that ensures participating institutional dual credit agreements satisfy the guiding principles and guidelines outlined in the policy.

Monitor access to other accelerated learning opportunities, such as AP, IB, Early College, and Middle College. (The Dual Credit Policy also directs the Department of Education to monitor access to other accelerated learning opportunities.)

Provide recommendations to CPE and KDE for the continuous improvement of the dual credit policy, policy implementation, accountability measures, and reporting responsibilities.

In addition, the Dual Credit Policy specifies it is the joint duty of the CPE and KDE, in collaboration with participating secondary schools and postsecondary institutions, to provide guidance on best practices. The Dual Credit Policy also directs participating postsecondary institutions to:

Work to create capacity for more secondary teachers to be credentialed to teach dual credit courses which will help assure access and affordability of dual credit programming.

Establish a formal strategy, consistent with the goals of the postsecondary institution's enrollment management plan, to recruit and matriculate students participating in dual credit courses.

Each secondary school-based decision making council must establish a policy on the recruitment and assignment of students to AP, IB, dual enrollment, and dual credit courses that recognizes that all students have the right to participate in a rigorous and academically challenging curriculum. All students willing to accept the challenge of a rigorous academic curriculum must be admitted to such courses provided they meet prerequisites. Any student whose scores on the grade 8 high school readiness exam indicate a high degree of readiness for high school must be counseled to enroll in accelerated courses. Any student whose scores on the grade 10 college readiness exam or grade 11 ACT indicate a high degree of readiness for college must be counseled to enroll in accelerated courses (with an emphasis on Advanced Placement classes).

While the student eligibility requirements in the Dual Credit Policy generally require a student to be in a participating secondary school, exceptions may be considered for other students if recommended by the school faculty and approved by the Chief Academic Officer at the participating postsecondary institution.

Statute directs the Kentucky Board of Education to establish long-term and annual statewide goals for increasing the number of high schools providing rigorous curricula and making available accelerated classes and college credit for students. Statute also directs the Department of Education, upon receipt of adequate federal funding, to identify, in conjunction with the Council on Postsecondary Education, resources at the secondary and postsecondary levels that can be directed toward advanced placement or dual enrollment instruction, and identify current and future funding sources for advanced placement or dual enrollment instructional programs and the amount of funds available or anticipated from those sources.

One of the responsibilities of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System is to enhance the relationship of credentials between secondary and postsecondary programs that permit secondary students to enter programs through early admission, advanced placement, or dual enrollment.

A board of education may award standards-based, performance-based credit toward high school graduation for standards-based dual credit courses.

Louisiana

Dual Enrollment: Homeschooled and private school students who meet eligibility requirements for public school students are eligible to participate. State funds may not be used to pay the tuition of homeschooled and private school students, but the amount of tuition charged the student must be the same as the state pays on behalf of a public school student.

Statute directs the state board to revise the school and student accountability system to recognize schools and districts for each student graduating with a high school diploma plus (1) at least one passing course grade for TOPS core curriculum credit via AP, college credit, dual enrollment, or IB OR (2) Basic statewide Jump Start credential. Each student who graduates with both (1) and (2) generates five additional points.

Course Choice: All course providers must agree to and have a plan to service students with special needs through instruction, materials, and/or technology. All eligible participating students with an individual education plan (IEP) will be entitled to special education services through the school in which he/she is enrolled including, but not limited to, assisting course providers in implementing the accommodations within the IEP.

The state’s College and Career Readiness Commission must make recommendations for statewide policies, guiding principles, and programs that address the state’s current and future economic needs and promote student success in high school and beyond. In making recommendations, the commission must consider strategies for increasing dual enrollment opportunities for high school students, including an emphasis on: (a) Early entry into postsecondary education institutions, (b) The identification of funding sources for such dual enrollment opportunities, and (c) Improved articulation agreements between secondary schools and postsecondary education institutions.

Maine

General program: A home-schooled student may also receive a state subsidy for postsecondary courses if the student meets course prerequisites and academic fitness requirements.

Dual enrollment career and technical education program: This program provides a 3-year cohort-based experience that includes up to 3 years of summer career academies and a college freshman seminar experience, meets national concurrent enrollment standards, and concludes at the end of summer after the student's senior year in high school. The program includes individual learning plans, academic and career assessment, college and career advising, career exploration and job-shadowing opportunities matched to achieve the student's individual academic and career goals.

The career and technical education center or region may enter into a contract with a service provider that operates as a nonprofit organization to provide technical assistance in developing and implementing the initial phase of the dual enrollment program.

A student who has satisfactorily completed the junior and senior years in a dual enrollment career and technical education program may be eligible to receive a high school diploma from the secondary school the student last attended, although the student may not meet the graduation requirements set forth in statute. The student who successfully demonstrates proficiency as defined in statute may be eligible to receive a high school diploma from the secondary school the student last attended.

Maryland

None identified

Massachusetts

General courses: Nonpublic school students may also participate. However, the crediting of such attendance for receipt of a high school diploma is at the discretion of the nonpublic school.

Commonwealth Dual Enrollment Partnership: Nonpublic and home-schooled students may participate in the Commonwealth Dual Enrollment Partnership, a discretionary state grant program that allows qualified students to enroll in dual enrollment courses at nominal to no cost.

Michigan

Postsecondary Enrollment Options and Career and Technical Preparation Act: Nonpublic school students may also participate.

An eligible postsecondary institution or career and technical preparation program may give priority to its postsecondary students when enrolling Postsecondary Enrollment Options or Career and Technical Preparation Act students for high school credit only. Once a student has been enrolled in a course through one of these programs, the postsecondary institution or career and technical preparation program may not displace the student with another student.

If a school district or public school academy maintains pupil portfolios for high school pupils, each pupil's portfolio must include all academic records and correspondence relating to the pupil's participation in a postsecondary course under the postsecondary enrollment options act.

Money included in the appropriations for community college operations for local strategic value must be allocated to each community college that certifies to the state budget director, through a board of trustees resolution by October 15, 2015 that the college has met 4 out of 5 specified best practices listed in each of three categories. Under the "educational partnerships" category, one of the five best practices is, "The community college has active partnerships with regional high schools, intermediate school districts, and career-tech centers to provide instruction through dual enrollment, concurrent enrollment, direct credit, middle college, or academy programs."

A high school that does not offer all credits it must offer for purposes of accreditation may maintain accreditation by ensuring students can access the required credits by another means, such as enrollment in a postsecondary course under the postsecondary enrollment options act.

Minnesota

Tribal school, home-schooled and private school students may also participate, and their program costs are paid by the department of education. A nonpublic secondary institution must proportionately adjust its tuition to accurately reflect the time an alternative pupil spends in a postsecondary enrollment course or program.

A postsecondary institution must give priority to its postsecondary students when enrolling 10th, 11th, and 12th grade pupils in its courses. However, once a student has been enrolled in a postsecondary course through Postsecondary Enrollment Options, the student may not be displaced by another student.

The postsecondary institution must inform the student of the support services available at that institution. If the student has an individualized education program (IEP) that provides general education support and accommodations, the postsecondary institution must provide the support services as described in the IEP and the postsecondary institution and the district must negotiate an agreement on the rate to be charged for the services. Nothing may prevent the student from enrolling while the agreement is being developed. If the parties cannot agree on the services, on application of either party, the commissioner of education must resolve the dispute in the same manner the commissioner fixes tuition rates for K-12 special education instruction and services outside a student’s district of residence.

2015 S.F. 5 appropriates $115,000 in fiscal year 2016 and $115,000 in fiscal year 2017 to grants to postsecondary institutions currently sponsoring a concurrent enrollment course to expand existing programs. The Office of Higher Education is required to report by December 1, 2016 and December 1, 2017 the programs expanded and the number of students who enrolled in programs under this appropriation.

Students who are taking courses through the Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act must be provided sexual assault training.

A student enrolled in a high school 40 miles or more from the nearest eligible institution may request that the district offer one or more accelerated or advanced academic courses, and a district must offer an accelerated or advanced academic course for postsecondary credit a student requests such a course. A student may enroll in a course offered for either secondary or postsecondary credit. The district may decide which course to offer, how to offer the course, and whether to offer one or more courses. The district must offer at least one such course in the next academic period and must continue to offer at least one accelerated or advanced academic course for postsecondary credit in later academic periods.

High school dropouts under the age of 21 who are participating in the graduation incentives program to earn a high school diploma are eligible to participate in Postsecondary Enrollment Options.

Students enrolled in courses taught at the high school by a high school teacher: All students in dual credit courses shall have access to student services and academic support similar to that afforded to students on the college campus, including, but not limited to advisors, library services, and other resources requisite for college-level academic performance.

All dual credit courses: Institutions are prohibited from using fees as a means of enticing school districts or competing with other institutions for dual credit students. Institutions must charge reasonable fees for providing dual credit courses.

One of the measures of K-12 district performance is whether the number of graduates who receive college credit through dual enrollment or approved dual credit courses meets or exceeds the state standard or demonstrates required improvement.

Montana

Home schooled students may enroll in a dual enrollment course through the school district in which they reside.

The Montana Dual Credit Incentive Program offers, to any public or recognized private high school teacher teaching a concurrent enrollment class with at least 4 students receiving dual credit, a credit-for-credit coupon to cover tuition costs for a course offered by any public or tribal college in Montana. Teachers can earn up to 24 credits over the life of the two year pilot program, beand all credits must be redeemed by the end of spring 2017. Coupons may be transferable to anyone, and are valid for for resident graduate or undergraduate tuition.

Nebraska

One of the statutory duties of the Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education is to encourage the interaction of public institutions with K-12 schools to facilitate joint planning initiatives on matters such as class or credit agreements for high school students enrolling in college-level programs.

The Nebraska Dual Enrollment Standards, which serve as guidelines but do not have force of law, direct districts and institutions to "work together to ensure broad access to dual enrollment courses for all students, irrespective of the students’ financial resources. Postsecondary education institutions are encouraged to offer tuition remissions or find other means of support for eligible students qualifying for free or reduced lunches or otherwise demonstrating financial need. "School districts that receive state aid related in part to significant numbers of students challenged by poverty or English language limitations should consider using such aid or finding other means of support to fund the tuition expenses of eligible students who would not otherwise be able to enroll in dual enrollment courses."

Nevada

A student enrolled in a program to complete an adult standard diploma may also apply postsecondary credits toward receipt of an adult standard diploma. Homeschooled students may enroll subject to case-by-case approvals by institution officials.

New Hampshire

None identified

New Jersey

None identified

New Mexico

All high school graduates must complete one unit either as an Advanced Placement or honors course, a dual credit course, or a distance learning course.

Private school, home school and bureau of Indian education high school students may participate in dual credit courses. Tuition for these students is paid by the legislature in the same manner as it is for public school students.

District partners must provide appropriate accommodations and services for special education students while the students are enrolled in dual credit classes, including academic adjustments and auxiliary aids and services for eligible students across educational activities and settings (e.g. equipping school computers with screen-reading, voice recognition or other adaptive hardware or software and providing note-takers, recording devices, or sign language interpreters, or other adaptation as required by law). Districts must also inform students in need of accommodations or other arrangements of the need to speak directly with the disabilities coordinator at the postsecondary institution.

High school students must be allowed use of the postsecondary institution library, course-related labs and other instructional facilities, use of the postsecondary institution programs and services such as counseling, tutoring, advising, and special services for students with disabilities, and access to postsecondary institution personnel and resources as required.

The student's district, charter school, state-supported school or bureau of Indian education high school must pay for required textbooks and other course supplies through purchase agreements with the postsecondary institution/tribal college bookstore or through other cost-efficient methods. The student must return textbooks and unused course supplies to the district or K-12 school when the student completes or withdraws from the course. Postsecondary institutions must make every effort to adopt textbooks for at least three years.

The "dual credit council" is a six-member advisory group consisting of public education department and higher education department staff appointed by the cabinet secretaries of the higher education department and the public education department. The council issues recommendations to the cabinet secretaries of the public education and higher education departments on dual credit issues outside the scope of an LEA/institution's dual credit master agreement. Postsecondary institutions and LEAs have the right to appeal to the dual credit council on issues related to implementing the dual credit program, agreement, and rules.

New York

None identified

North Carolina

Home school and private school students may also participate.

North Dakota

Nonpublic high schools may also participate in dual credit opportunities.

High school students enrolled in dual-credit college courses and seeking NDUS college credit regardless of class location are permitted to use the college/university’s resources, i.e., computer labs, library, etc., as any part-time student would.

Regulations task the school approval and accreditation unit in the department of public instruction with providing technical assistance on dual credit.

Counselors at participating high schools must be informed annually of the current/tuition fee amounts charged by their service-area NDUS schools.

To be eligible for a North Dakota Academic Scholarship, a student must complete either one-half unit of a specified curriculum through a dual enrollment course, or one unit through an Advanced Placement course, or a nonremedial postsecondary course through an early entrance program.

Ohio

Nonpublic high schools and homeschooled students, including nonpublic and homeschooled students in grades 7-8, may participate in College Credit Plus. Each chartered nonpublic high school that elects not to participate in the College Credit Plus program must offer at least one other advanced standing program (i.e., Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate diploma courses, or early college high school programs).

An “eligible out-of-state college” is defined as any institution of higher education that is located outside of Ohio and is approved by the chancellor of higher education to participate in the College Credit Plus program. Approved out-of-state institutions are subject to the same requirements as a participating Ohio private college.

Each public secondary school must develop, in consultation with at least one partnering college, two model pathways for courses offered under the College Credit Plus program. One model pathway must be a 15-credit hour pathway and one must be a 30-credit hour pathway. Each pathway must include courses that all apply to at least one degree or professional certification offered at the college. The pathways may be organized by desired major or career path or may include various core courses required for a degree or professional certification by the college. The school must publish the pathways among the school's official list of course offerings from which a participant may select. No participant may be required to enroll only in courses in a model pathway; rather, the pathways must serve as samples of the courses a participant may take to earn multiple credits toward a specific degree or certification.

Any public or participating nonpublic secondary school or any public or participating private college, including a secondary school and an associated college operating an early college high school program, may apply to the chancellor of higher education and the superintendent of public instruction for a waiver from the requirements of the College Credit Plus program. The chancellor and the superintendent may grant a waiver for an agreement governing an early college high school program or for a proposed agreement between a public or participating nonpublic secondary school and a public or participating private or out-of-state college, only if the agreement both includes innovative programming proposed to exclusively address the needs of underrepresented student subgroups, and meets all criteria set forth in rules adopted by the chancellor and the superintendent. Any waiver hereby granted applies only to the agreement for which the waiver is granted and does not apply to any other agreement that the school or college enters into.

During the period of an expulsion imposed by a public secondary school, a student is ineligible to apply to enroll in a college under the College Credit Plus program, unless the student is admitted to another public secondary or participating nonpublic secondary school. If a student is enrolled in a college under the College Credit Plus program when the student is expelled, the student's status for the remainder of the college term in which the expulsion is imposed must be determined. A student’s expulsion notice must indicate whether the school has adopted a policy to deny high school credit for College Credit Plus program courses taken during an expulsion.

Upon a student's graduation from high school, participation in College Credit Plus does not affect the student's eligibility at any public college for scholarships or for other benefits or opportunities that are available to first-time college students and are awarded by that college, regardless of the number of credit hours that the student completed under the program.

The chancellor of higher education must require all state institutions of higher education offering baccalaureate degrees, as a condition of reauthorization for certification of each baccalaureate program, to submit a statement describing how each major may be completed within three academic years. This statement may include any of several specified methods to contribute to earning a baccalaureate degree in three years, including College Credit Plus courses. Each state institution of higher education must provide the required statements for 60% of all baccalaureate degree programs the institution offers. Each state institution of higher education required to submit statements must post its three-year option on its website and also provide that information to the department of education. The department must distribute that information to the superintendent, high school principal, and guidance counselor, or equivalents, of each school district, community school (charter school), and STEM school.

The state provides a set amount of funding to cover the cost of nonpublic school student participation in College Credit Plus. In distributing the state funding, the department of education processes nonpublic student applications in the following manner and order: grade 12 applications; grade 11 applications; grade 10 applications; grade 9 applications; grade 8 applications; and grade 7 applications. In this sequence, nonpublic applicants at each grade level have equal opportunity to participate with other nonpublic applicants at the same grade level.

An institution must give enrollment priority to its current students. However, once a participant has been accepted into a course, the student may not be displaced from the course unless the student voluntarily drops the course or fails to meet the institution's established student conduct rules. The institution must also adhere to any capacity limitations that the college has established for specified courses.

2015 H.B. 64 directs the board of trustees of each state institution of higher education to develop and implement a plan to provide all in-state, undergraduate students the opportunity to reduce the student cost of earning a degree by 5%. The plan may include, but is not limited to, any of 11 components, including increased participation in the College Credit Plus program.

2015 H.B. 64 also creates the STEM Public-Private Partnership Pilot Program, to operate for fiscal year 2017 to encourage public-private partnerships between high schools, colleges, and the community to provide high school students the opportunity to receive education and training in a targeted industry, as defined by JobsOhio, while earning high school and college credit for the course. The bill directs the Chancellor of Higher Education to administer the program and select five partnerships, each to receive a $150,000 grant. Under the program, students, high schools, and colleges that participate must do so under the College Credit Plus program.

Regulations provide that an institution of higher education's failure to comply with College Credit Plus program requirements, including, but not limited to, reporting data, may result in the chancellor and the superintendent withholding payment to, demanding repayment from, sending a distribution amount that is in favor of the other participating party, suspending the ability to negotiate future alternative funding structure, or suspending the institution of higher education's eligibility to continue program participation. The chancellor must make available a current list of institutions suspended from participation due to noncompliance.

Oklahoma

Accredited private school and home school students may also participate. If a private school is not accredited, students may be admitted under special provisions set forth in state regents policy.

The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, in cooperation with the State Board of Education, must actively encourage the concurrent enrollment of high-ability high school students.

Tuition waivers for eligible seniors must be granted without any limitation on the number of waivers granted in any year other than the amount of funds available for the program and the number of eligible applicants. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education must establish criteria for prioritizing applicants on the basis of need, timeliness of application, or other factors as determined by the state regents.

In calculating a high school’s grade for public accountability purposes, 1 bonus point is awarded each high school that achieves either a student participation rate of 70% or higher in accelerated coursework or a student performance rate of 90% or higher in accelerated coursework, including concurrent enrollment. For concurrent enrollment performance rate, successful completion is defined as a passing grade of "C" or higher.

Oregon

Expanded Options: One of the purposes of the Expanded Options Program is to “Increase the number of at-risk students earning college credits or preparing to enroll in post-secondary institutions.” “At-risk student” is defined for these purposes as student who qualifies for free-/reduced-price lunch or as defined by rules adopted by the board if the board has adopted rules to define an at-risk student.

The student’s resident school district must provide any required special education and related services to a student participating in the Expanded Options Program. A post-secondary institution that intends to provide special education and related services to a student in the Expanded Options Program must enter into a contract with the student’s resident school district; this contact must include components set forth in statute.

A district may request a waiver from the department of education from the requirements of the Expanded Options Program. The department must grant the waiver if compliance with program requirements would adversely impact district finances, or does all of the following:

Offers a dual credit program, a Two-plus-Two program, an Advanced Placement program, an International Baccalaureate program or any other accelerated college credit program

Ensures that at-risk students who participate in the accelerated college credit programs are not required to make any payments for participation in the programs; and

Has a process for program participation that allows either all eligible at-risk students to participate, all at-risk students to earn the number of credit hours established in the state board’s credit cap, or allows for an increasing number of at-risk students to participate each school year based on demand and appropriateness, as determined by a district plan.

Dual Credit: The department of education must administer a grant program that provides grants to provide classroom supplies for accelerated college credit programs (i.e., dual credit programs, Two-plus-Two programs, Advanced Placement programs and International Baccalaureate programs).

Statute establishes the Accelerated College Credit Account in the State Treasury, separate from the General Fund. Moneys in the Accelerated College Credit Account are continuously appropriated to the Department of Education for grants to applicant districts, community college districts or state institutions of higher education to provide training to current or future teachers of accelerated college credit courses, provide classroom supplies for such courses, and assist students in paying for books, materials and other costs, other than test fees, related to accelerated college credit programs. Grants may be funds from the Accelerated College Credit Account, or federal funds, or from any other source, public or private.

2013 legislation directs the Oregon Education Investment Board to establish the Guidance and Support for Post-Secondary Aspirations Program, intended in part to increase the number of students who earn a high school diploma and enroll in postsecondary education. To accomplish the purposes of the Guidance and Support for Post-Secondary Aspirations Program, moneys must be distributed to the department of education to create a scholarship fund aimed at increasing access for underserved students to post-secondary institutions by paying for first-year college courses or accelerated college credit programs.

Pennsylvania

Students in charter schools operating in a school entity, nonpublic or private schools for which the entity provides free transportation, and students in home education programs are also eligible to participate, provided the charter school, nonpublic school, private school or home education program awards secondary credit for a successfully completed concurrent course. Districts must provide such schools/programs with written notice of the availability of concurrent enrollment programming in the district. School districts are eligible for concurrent enrollment grant funds for students in charter schools, nonpublic schools, private schools or home education programs.

Upon request of a board of school directors of a school entity, the department of education must provide technical assistance in the development of concurrent enrollment agreements and concurrent enrollment programs.

*Program currently inactive due to inadequate state funds*

Rhode Island

The Advanced Coursework Network, to be launched in fall 2016, will extend dual enrollment and other advanced course opportunities across the state. Public schools and districts may join as network providers to offer new or existing advanced courses, and/or as network members, to allow their students to enroll in network courses. Courses will be offered by LEAs, community-based organizations, and institutions of higher education.

Legislation directs the department of elementary and secondary education to develop targeted dropout prevention interventions "or identify appropriate existing methods for school districts" in which the dropout rate, as calculated by the department, exceeds 15%. These interventions may include "[a]lternative programs designed to reengage dropouts including dual enrollment courses at the community college level" and offering full course fee waivers for free- and reduced-lunch students enrolled in dual credit courses.

Each student must have an individual learning plan (ILP) developed no later than the 6th grade to help students identify and meet their academic, career, and personal/social goals. The ILP must document the student's college and career interests and learning supports, as well as additional educational opportunities, such as dual enrollment.

South Carolina

Dual enrollment students must be guaranteed convenient geographic and electronic access to student and academic support comparable to what is accorded on-campus students, including access to library resources. Students must also have reasonable access to the course instructor outside regular classroom hours either in person, via phone, or electronically.

Institutions must cooperate with each other in offering dual enrollment courses in a particular geographic area.

South Dakota

Private and home-schooled students may also participate.

Tennessee

Private and home school students may apply for a Dual Enrollment Grant.

Statute creates an Office of Postsecondary Coordination and Alignment in the division of career and technical education in the department of education, and a Consortium for Cooperative Innovative Education. The office is assigned various duties in statute related to early postsecondary credit and dual credit, including making recommendations to the consortium for cooperative innovative education for the development of specific early postsecondary credit opportunities.

The consortium is charged with (1) developing and implementing a program to align secondary and postsecondary courses, (2) developing and implementing early postsecondary credit opportunities, and (3) Create marketing channels to advise students of early postsecondary education opportunities (i.e., dual enrollment, dual credit, Advanced Placement (AP), College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) and International Baccalaureate). The consortium may create an advisory committee to examine best practices in cooperative innovative education, suggest options to promote early college credit opportunities, and advise the consortium on workforce needs. The advisory committee must invite and encourage the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Tennessee Business Roundtable and the Tennessee Independent College and Universities Association to participate in the advisory committee's activities.

Statute also directs the consortium to review, by July 2013, existing dual credit pilot projects, determine the viability of these courses for statewide implementation, and implement courses determined to be viable. The consortium must also develop and implement statewide postsecondary courses, with accompanying challenge examinations, that reflect common learning outcomes established among the postsecondary institutions that already have the course in the individual institution's academic inventory. The initial statewide early postsecondary credit opportunities and their assessments were required to be piloted on a statewide basis in the 2013-2014 school year in high schools opting in. In succeeding years additional early postsecondary credit opportunities, including dual enrollment, must be developed as funds are made available.

The consortium, in cooperation with the office of postsecondary coordination and alignment, must develop a strategic plan for the establishment of statewide dual enrollment and dual credit opportunities.

The LEA and the participating postsecondary institution must determine for each course the length of time of instruction, which may be that required for public schools, or that required for the attainment of postsecondary learning outcomes.

It is the intent of the general assembly that funding for Tennessee HOPE scholarships, Tennessee HOPE access grants and Wilder-Naifeh technical skills grants take priority over funding for dual enrollment grants. Subject to legislative appropriations and laws regarding funding shortfalls from the net proceeds of the state lottery, the award for a credit hour taken under a dual enrollment grant must be determined by TSAC and may not exceed the cost per credit hour of courses taken at community colleges in the state university and community college system.

For a home-school student to be eligible for a General Assembly Merit Scholarship (GAMS), the student must, among other criteria, be enrolled in at least four college credit courses totaling at least 12 credit hours and earn a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. (Public and private school students are not subject to this requirement.)

If a dual credit or dual enrollment program has an education partner that is a public body, the program may use state, federal and local funds allocated or appropriated to that body. Use of funds is subject to any limitations or restrictions placed on those funds by federal or state law or local ordinance. The county governing body in a county where a program is located may nevertheless appropriate funds to a program approved under this chapter. The LEA and the cooperating public postsecondary institution are strongly encouraged to seek funds from sources other than state, federal and local appropriations.

A dual credit or dual enrollment program must comply with the campus’ laws and policies regarding the education of students with disabilities, and must comply with all statutes, regulations, policies and guidelines regarding student discipline.

Texas

The institution of higher education in closest geographic proximity to a public high school identified as substantially below the state average in the number of graduates enrolling in higher education institutions must enter into an agreement with that high school to develop a plan to increase students’ college-going rates. Under the plan, the institution must actively engage with local school districts to provide access to rigorous, high-quality dual credit opportunities for qualified students as needed.

Each school district receives an annual allotment of $275 for each student in average daily attendance in grades 9-12. With certain exceptions, a district or campus must use such funds for any of five purposes, including implementing or administering a program that encourages students to pursue advanced academic opportunities, including early college high school programs and dual credit, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate courses.

Statute directs the commissioner to establish by rule an academic distinction designation for districts and campuses for outstanding performance in attainment of postsecondary readiness. The criteria the commissioner adopts for the designation must include, among others, percentages of students who completed a dual credit course or an articulated postsecondary course provided for local credit.

A student may earn a performance acknowledgment on the student's transcript by satisfying the requirements for that acknowledgment adopted by the state board by rule. An acknowledgment under this subsection may be earned for outstanding performance in a dual credit course.

The state board must establish a process to review and approve an applied STEM course to satisfy a math or science course otherwise required under the foundation high school program. The applied STEM course must qualify as a dual credit course or an articulated postsecondary course provided for local credit or articulated postsecondary advanced technical credit course provided for state credit.

The commissioner of higher education and the commissioner of education, in consultation with the comptroller and the Texas Workforce Commission, may award a grant of up to $1 million to an institution of higher education to develop advanced mathematics and science courses to prepare high school students for employment in a high-demand occupation. (Definition of “high-demand occupation” for these purposes jointly determined by the commissioner of higher education, the commissioner of education, the comptroller, and the Texas Workforce Commission.) An institution of higher education must work in partnership with at least one independent school district and a business entity in developing a course under this grant. A course developed for these purposes must be offered for dual credit.

Students in dual credit courses must have access to the same or comparable support services that are afforded college students on the main campus. The college is responsible for ensuring timely and efficient access to such services (e.g., academic advising and counseling), to learning materials (e.g., library resources), and to other benefits for which the student may be eligible.

Students pursuing the distinguished achievement high school program (a.k.a. advanced high school program - only available to students who entered grade 9 before the 2014-2015 school year) must achieve any combination of four “advanced measures,” one of which is college academic courses, including those taken for dual credit, and advanced technical credit courses, including locally articulated courses, with a grade of 3.0 or higher. Effective with students entering grade 9 in the 2014-15 school year, and available to students entering grade 9 in prior years who self-select into this option, students must complete the Foundation Program, and may earn a performance acknowledgement on the student's transcript for outstanding performance on any of several measures, including a dual credit course.

For courses offered through an agreement with a public junior college and a school district or private high school: Private school students and home school students may also participate. The public junior college must apply the same criteria and conditions to each student wishing to enroll in the course without regard to whether the student attends a public school or a private or parochial school, including a home school.

Utah

The legislature must, subject to budget constraints, annually increase the money appropriated to the state board for concurrent enrollment based on (1) enrollment growth from additional students enrolled, courses offered, and credit hours taken, and (2) the percentage increase in the value of the weighted pupil unit.

The board of regents, after consultation with LEAs, must provide the Utah State Office of Education with proposed new course offerings, including syllabi and curriculum materials by November 30 of the year preceding the school year in which courses are to be offered. Concurrent enrollment funding is provided only for 1000 or 2000 level courses unless a student's SEOP identifies a student's readiness and preparation for a higher level course. This exception must be individually approved by the student's counselor and the LEA's concurrent enrollment administrator. Concurrent enrollment funding cannot fund unilateral parent/student initiated college attendance or course-taking.

Concurrent enrollment course offerings must reflect the strengths and resources of the respective schools and institutions and be based on student needs.

Statute uses "designated institution of higher education" to mean an institution of higher education designated by the State Board of Regents to provide a course or program of study within a specific geographic region. To offer a concurrent enrollment course, an LEA must contact its designated institution of higher education to request that the institution contract with the LEA to provide the course. If the LEA's designted institution of higher education chooses to offer the concurrent enrollment course, the LEA must contract with that institution to provdie the course. An LEA may contract with an institution that is not the LEA's designated institution of higher education if the LEA's designated institution of higher education chooses not to offer the course proposed by the LEA, or fails to respond to the LEA's request within 30 days.

The State Board of Education and the State Board of Regents may develop and implement a concurrent enrollment course of study for accelerated foreign language students, including dual language immersion students.

Vermont

Dual Enrollment: Private school students (to which the student's district of residence pays publicly funded tuition on the student’s behalf) and home-schooled students may also participate, as can a student in a public school in another state or an approved independent school that is designated as the public secondary school for the student's district of residence.

The Vermont State Colleges and the University of Vermont must work together to provide dual enrollment opportunities throughout the state.

Secondary schools must identify and provide necessary support for participating students and continue to provide services for students with disabilities, provide support for a seamless transition to postsecondary enrollment upon graduation.

The Vermont Agency of Education must manage or may contract for the management of the Dual Enrollment Program in Vermont by:(1) Marketing the Dual Enrollment Program to students and their families(2) Assisting secondary and postsecondary partners to develop memoranda of understanding, when requested(3) Coordinating with secondary and postsecondary partners to understand and define student academic readiness(4) Convening regular meetings of interested parties to explore and develop improved student support services(5) Coordinating the use of technology to ensure access and coordination of the Program(6) Reviewing program costs(7) Evaluating all aspects of the Dual Enrollment Program and ensuring overall quality and accountability(8) Performing other necessary or related duties.

The Secretary must develop, publish, and regularly update guidance, in the form of technical assistance, sharing of best practices and model documents, legal interpretations, and other support designed to help school districts provide students, beginning no later than in 7th grade, with career development and postsecondary planning resources to ensure they are able to take full advantage of flexible pathways to graduation opportunities, including dual enrollment.

Virginia

Private and home schooled students may also participate.

Through the Virginia Index of Performance (VIP) incentive program, the state board recognizes schools and school divisions that are annually increasing student enrollment in dual enrollment, AP or IB courses toward the state goal of 30%. An increase toward this goal earns a high school one VIP bonus point for the Board of Education Distinguished Achievement Award or Board of Education Excellence Award, and meets state goal for Governor’s Award for Educational Excellence.

Students who complete the requirements for an Advanced Studies Diploma with an average grade of “B” or better, and successfully complete college-level coursework that will earn the student at least nine transferable college credits via dual enrollment or other options receive the Governor's Seal on the diploma.

Dual enrollment courses do not count toward accumulation of the 125% credit hour threshold, after which a postsecondary student who continues to be enrolled after completed 125% of the credit hours needed to satisfy the degree requirements for a specified undergraduate program is charged a surcharge for each additional semester enrolled.

Community colleges must provide dual enrollment students access to appropriate student support programs, academic support services, and activities including access and user privileges to adequate library collections and services and any other learning information or resources.

Washington

Running Start: Home-schooled and private school students may also participate. Once a pupil has been enrolled in a postsecondary course or program, the student may not be displaced by another student. Once a pupil has been enrolled in a postsecondary course or program, the student may not be displaced by another student.

A community or technical college may issue a high school diploma or certificate. A Running Start participant who completes an associate’s degree must be awarded a high school diploma from the college upon written request from the student.

Dual credit generally: 2015 H.B. 1546 directs the student achievement council, in collaboration with the state board for community and technical colleges, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, and the public four-year institutions, to make recommendations to the legislature to streamline and improve dual credit programs in Washington with particular attention to increasing participation of low-income and/or students who are currently underrepresented in Running Start, AP, International Baccalaureate, and Cambridge International programs.

Legislation encourages each local board to adopt an academic acceleration policy for high school students, under which the district automatically enrolls each student who meets the state standard on the high school statewide student assessment in the next most rigorous level of advanced courses offered by the high school. Students who successfully complete such an advanced course are then enrolled in the next most rigorous advanced course, with the objective that students will eventually be automatically enrolled in courses that offer the opportunity to earn dual credit for high school and college. Districts must notify students and parents regarding the academic acceleration policy and the advanced courses available to students, and provide parents an opportunity to opt out of the academic acceleration policy and enroll a student in an alternative course.

Legislation, subject to appropriation of funds, also establishes the academic acceleration incentive program, to award funds to support teacher training, curriculum, technology, examination fees, textbook fees and other costs associated with offering dual credit courses (i.e., College in the High School, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education Examination (AICE), Tech Prep, online courses), including transportation for Running Start students to and from the institution of higher education. Half of appropriated funds must be awarded via competitive grants on a one-time basis for high schools to expand the availability of dual credit courses. (To be eligible, districts must have adopted an academic acceleration policy.) Priority in awarding grants must be given high schools with a high proportion of low-income students, and high schools seeking to develop new capacity for dual credit courses rather than proposing marginal expansion of current capacity. The remaining half of funds must be awarded districts as an incentive award for each student who earned dual credit for courses offered by the district’s high schools in the previous school year. Districts must distribute the award to the high schools that generated the funds. The award amount for free- and reduced-price lunch students who earn dual credits must be set at 125% of the base award for other students. A student who earns more than one dual credit in the same school year counts only once for the purposes of the incentive award. The office of the superintendent of public instruction must report to the education policy committees and the fiscal committees of the legislature, by January 1st of each year, information about the demographics of the students earning dual credits in the schools receiving grants under this section for the prior school year.

Institutions of higher education are encouraged to review their policies and procedures regarding financial aid for students enrolled in dual credit programs (i.e., programs administered by a high school or postsecondary institution for 11th and 12th graders to enroll in an institution’s courses or programs and earn high school and college credit). Institutions are also encouraged to implement policies and procedures providing students enrolled in dual credit programs with the same access to institutional aid, including all educational expenses, as provided to resident undergraduate students.

Each institution of higher education, including technical colleges, must deposit a minimum of 3 ½% of revenues collected from tuition and services and activities fees in a locally-held institutional financial aid fund. Moneys in the fund must be used only for specified purposes, including to provide financial aid to high school students enrolled in dual credit programs. Moneys from this fund may be used for all educational expenses related to a student's participation in a dual credit program including tuition, fees, course materials, and transportation.

The office of the superintendent of public instruction must compile information about online learning programs for high school students to earn college credit and place the information on its website. Examples of information to be compiled and placed on the website include links to purveyors of online learning programs, comparisons among various types of programs regarding costs or awarding of credit, advantages and disadvantages of online learning programs, and other general assistance and guidance for students, teachers, and counselors in selecting and considering online learning programs. The office must use the expertise of its Digital Learning Department and Washington Online to provide assistance and suggest resources.

The superintendent of public instruction and the office of student financial assistance must develop advising guidelines to assure that students and parents understand that college credits earned in high school dual credit programs may impact eligibility for financial aid.

A high school that demonstrates improvement in its dropout prevention score in comparison to baseline school year may receive a PASS program award. The office of the superintendent of public instruction must determine the amount of PASS program awards based on appropriated funds and eligible high school, to provide an award to each eligible high school commensurate with the degree of improvement in the high school's dropout prevention score and the high school’s size. A high school must use 90% of an award for dropout prevention activities, which the school principal must determine after consultation with parents and certified school staff. Among the activities for which a school may use PASS funds are (1) Outreach and counseling to students identified as at risk of dropping out of school, or who have dropped out of school, to encourage them to consider alternatives such as running start and other options for completing a high school diploma, and (2) Preapprenticeship programs or running start for the trades initiatives.

Districts in Washington and community colleges in Idaho and Oregon may enter into cooperative agreements to allow 11th and 12th grade students to earn high school and postsecondary credit. Such agreements must adhere to RCW 28A.600.310 through .360 and 28A.600.380 through .400. A district agreement may allow the community college to accept an amount less than the statewide uniform rate set in RCW 28A.600.310(2) if the community college does not charge students tuition and fees. To the extent feasible, such agreements must permit students to attend the community college without paying tuition or fees. Agreements may not permit community colleges to charge nonresident tuition and fee rates. Agreements must ensure that students may enroll only in courses transferable to the Washington two-year, tribal and select four-year institutions from which students in traditional dual enrollment programs would earn postsecondary credits.

The state’s Student Achievement Council must collaborate with the appropriate state agencies and stakeholders, including the state board of education, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the state board for community and technical colleges, the workforce training and education coordinating board, and the four-year institutions of higher education to improve student transitions and success including recommending policies that require coordination between or among sectors such as dual high school-college programs, and awarding college credit for advanced high school work.

College in the High School: Running Start courses must also be open for registration to matriculated students at the participating institution of higher education and may not be a course consisting solely of high school students offered at a high school campus.

West Virginia

Early Enrollment: Early enrollment students have the same rights and responsibilities as on-campus students and have the same level of access to learning resources such as libraries, laboratories, and databases.

Early Enrollment and Dual Credit: The total headcount enrollment in early admission and dual credit courses is a performance indicator for community and technical colleges.

West Virginia EDGE: The Community and Technical College/Career and Technical Education Consortium Planning District must annually review the approved EDGE course listing to ensure the accuracy of information provided to students and parents.

Courses at postsecondary campuses generally: High schools are permitted to make “take-out” lunches for students attending college programs, and claim such lunches for reimbursement. Provision of such lunches is at the discretion of SFAs (School Food Authority, or governing body that is responsible for the administration of one or more schools and has the legal authority to operate a breakfast or lunch program).

Wisconsin

Dual Enrollment: 2013 Act 20 (A.B. 40) directs the technical college system board to establish a formula for allocating an amount to each technical college district based on a district's performance in the 3 previous fiscal years on specified criteria, including participation in dual enrollment programs.

Wyoming

Distance education grant funds are available to assist school districts, community colleges, and the University of Wyoming with developing distance education course(s), including dual enrollment courses, available from the WSN (Wyoming Switchboard Network).

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